It Shouldn't Feel Right
by Meglynncat
Summary: Hermione didn't have feelings for Professor Snape...right? And she was sure that he didn't have any for her...did he? And if he did, it shouldn't feel so right...
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

"Sir?" Hermione said, hesitantly approaching the desk of her Potions Professor, Professor Snape.

"Yes, Granger?" He sighed.

"Well, sir, I was wondering, would it be possible if I could, maybe, uh, spend some extra time in the Potions room?" She hurried on as Snape raised an eyebrow. "I'm working on an advanced potion, and I need some extra time, so I thought, maybe…" She trailed off. Professor Snape had always given her nervous butterflies, for some reason. He stared at her for a moment.

"And why would I do that?" He asked.

"Well, sir, because…uh, I just thought that…it would be…a good experience…since I was seriously considering a career as a Potions Mistress, and so…" She stopped as she saw Snape looking at her with a new light in his eye.

"Well, well, well…a Potions Mistress, hmm? I see…if there is anyone better suited for it, I've never met them. You're the best student I've ever taught, and it is my personal belief that you would make a fabulous Potions Mistress." Hermione stared at him in disbelief. Was this the same Snape? The same Snape that had always belittled and mocked her, in front of a whole class of students?

He must have sensed what she was thinking, because then he said, "I may not be the kindest Professor, Miss. Granger, but I assure that I have never once meant anything that I said to you. It was for your own good. I thought that if you grew hard to criticisms, then later in life, they wouldn't affect you as much. I'm sorry if anything I ever said hit you in a soft spot." Hermione could barely believe her ears. Snape, apologizing? And he actually seemed to mean it, as well. She could see the sincerity in his eyes.

"No, no, it's ok…thank you!" She hurried to assure him that she didn't hold it against him. "I appreciate that you were trying to help! It means a lot," she added.

"I truly hope so," he said, his voice growing softer as he gazed into her eyes. Funny, she had never noticed before how beautiful his eyes were…or how handsome he was, in general…wait! He was her teacher! She shouldn't be thinking about him like this, at all! It was wrong. Besides, she already had a boyfriend! Ron. She mustn't forget about Ron!

"I'm sorry, Professor, but I have Transfiguration, so I really must be going now. When would be a good time to return, so we can discuss my extra time in the Potions room?" She asked.

"How about…tonight? After dinner?" He said after a moment.

"Of course!" Hermione squeaked. "See you then!" She said as she hurried out of the room. She tried to forget the way Professor Snape had looked at her, and how handsome he was...

_Stop it! _She told herself. You can't think of him like that. Remember Ron!

She wasn't interested in Professor Snape at all!

And he wasn't interested in her.

…Right?

**A/N: Hi! Sorry it took so long to post my new story! And if you're new, and you haven't read my other story…hello! Thanks for reading! And for those of you that put me in Author Alerts and have been following me for quite a while now, welcome back! And thank you so much, it really means a lot. :) Hope you enjoyed the first chapter! It'll heat up pretty quickly. ;) Reviews? :) Until next time!**

**~Secret**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

"Professor?" Hermione called as she walked up to the slightly open door of Snape's office.

"Come in, Miss. Granger. You can have a seat, as well," he said. Hermione sat down in one of the hard, wooden chairs in front of Snape's desk.

"Good evening, Professor," Hermione said formally, still trying her hardest to forget about earlier.

"Good evening, Miss. Granger," Snape replied, raising an eyebrow.

"You can call me Hermione," she blurted out without thinking. As soon as she realized what she had said, she blushed bright red. "I mean, if you want to…" She quietly trailed off.

"Indeed…Hermione. I'd say you could call me Severus, but I suppose that would make you even more uncomfortable that you clearly already are," he told her.

"No, I'm not uncomfortable, sir…er, Severus?" She said uncertainly.

He flashed her a quick smile, and then his face became serious. "So, Hermione, exactly what potion are you working on to where you require extra time?"

"Well, I was going to try Polyjuice Potion," she said, relaxing as the topic turned to schoolwork. "Not to actually _use,_" she hurried to explain, "just to see if I could actually get an acceptable outcome."

"Of course," Snape murmured.

"I've been reading up on it, and it seems like a very…_interesting_...potion to attempt," Hermione continued.

"It certainly is. It's also very difficult. Even some of the more…advanced…Potion Masters don't dare try to attempt it." He studied her for a moment longer. "But I have faith in you. I believe you'll be able to accomplish this…remarkable feat," he said slowly.

Hermione was a little surprised. "Thank you!"

"Now, you'll need some extra supplies from my personal stores, and we'll have to set up a cauldron for you…we can't have nosy students investigating and ruining the potion. How about we set it up…in my library? I already have a cauldron there, for when I myself need to make a potion away from the prying eyes of Hogwarts students. Would that be all right?" He asked.

"Yes, yes, that will be just fine! Thank you very much," Hermione said, grateful that he was this willing to assist her.

"You're very welcome, Hermione," he said. "Now, I think that you should be getting back to your dorm, it is getting rather late."

Hermione looked at the clock, and jumped out of her seat. "Oh, dear, I hadn't realized! And I have so much homework! I have to start on your essay right away!" She hurried towards the door, but Snape got up and walked towards her.

"Hermione, I think that because you are going to be working so hard on such an advanced potion for an extended period of time, you should be exempt from all homework in this class. It's the least I can do," he told her.

Hermione was shocked yet again. She couldn't believe that Professor Snape (no- Severus) had turned out to be so kind. "Oh, no, I can do the homework-" she started to say.

"No, I _insist._ You'll have enough on your plate with homework from all your other classes without me adding to your already immense workload."

"I really do appreciate this…Severus," she said softly, smiling up at him.

"I hope so," he replied quietly. Then he did something that greatly surprised her…he bent down and kissed her, and before she knew what was happening, she was kissing him back, and he had deepened the kiss, and her arms were around his neck, and his around her waist, and, _oh, _it felt so right…but then a tiny, nagging voice in the back of her head said _He's your teacher! You can't be doing this, it isn't right! _She mentally waved it away and continued the delicious kissing. So the little voice tried a new tactic. _You can't forget about Ron, you know! _Hermione didn't want to pay any attention…but the little voice had made a good point. She reluctantly broke away from the kiss, gasping for air.

Severus looked into her eyes and gently said, "Goodnight Hermione. I'll see you tomorrow."

**A:N/ So, here's Chapter Two! Did you like it? I hope so! :D Let me know what you think. :) Thanks everyone! Until next time.**

**~Secret**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Oh no, oh no, oh no, _oh no! _Hermione thought to herself as she scrambled out of bed the next morning. How on earth could she just walk into Potions, when she had _kissed her Professor? _And liked it! And, in addition to that, how could she sit next to Ron, look him in the eye, speak to him, when she had cheated on him? This was all just one big mess.

But she was Hermione Granger. She could handle it.

She could handle anything.

At least, that's what she told herself as she hurried down to the Great Hall for breakfast before her first class of the morning- Potions.

By the time she walked into Potions, she had decided that everything would continue as normal- and why shouldn't it? The kiss had been a mistake, and she was sure that Severus- no, _Professor Snape!- _felt the same way.

It didn't matter how much she had loved it, and wanted to do it again…

No! She couldn't think like this. It wasn't fair to Ron, and it wasn't fair to herself…and it wasn't fair to Snape. It wasn't fair to anyone at all.

But all those thoughts melted away when she walked into the Potions classroom, and saw Snape standing at the front of the classroom, looking as handsome as ever…

_He's even more gorgeous than Ron, _she thought dreamily as she took her seat. You wouldn't think it, at first, but he really was. Hermione didn't think his hair looked remarkably greasy at all, contrary to popular belief. Before her train of thought could continue chugging along, however, Ron and Harry arrived, at the last possible minute before the bell, of course, and sat down on either side of her, pulling out the essay that was due today.

"Hey, 'Mione, where's your essay?" Ron wondered.

"Oh, I never told you, did I? I got back so late last night; I went right to bed…"

"Never told us what?" Harry chimed in.

"Well, I'm going to be working on an advanced potion, and I'll be spending lots of extra time working on it, so Professor Snape said that I was exempt from homework assignments in his class," she told them. They stared at her in disbelief.

"_Snape? _He let you skip homework assignments?" Ron asked, thinking that she was making a joke.

"Yes, Ronald, that _is _what I said. It's not very surprising, I'm going to have quite a bit of work to do, with this extra Potions and homework from all of my other classes," Hermione informed him.

"Why would you want to spend extra time in the Potions room? With Snape, no less," Harry asked, baffled.

"Because Potions is fascinating! I want to know all the advanced things that he could teach me…I want to be a Potions mistress, you know," Hermione told them.

"What potion are you going to be working on anyway?" Harry asked.

"I am going to be attempting to create a batch of Polyjuice Potion," Hermione said importantly.

"…Oh, good luck…" Harry replied, obviously having no idea what that was, but attempting to conceal that from her.

Before Hermione could launch into a lengthy explanation of Polyjuice Potion and its origins, Snape called the class to order.

"Well, I expect that you have all completed the assigned essay," he said, waving his wand to collect them all, sneering at them all the while.

Funny, though…she could have sworn she saw him give her a tiny smile as his gaze flitted past her. But, she had to have imagined that, right?

No, she didn't…she defiantly saw him smile at her again, while everyone was ruffling through their bags for quills and textbooks!

She settled back in her chair…she couldn't wait to come back later that night, for her first session of extra Potions.

**A/N: I forgot to tell you in the last chapters A/N…but, we're going to pretend that Hermione never had to make Polyjuice Potion in the bathroom in Second Year. :) Make believe! :D Well, anyway, what did you think of this chapter? :) Another will be up either later today, or tomorrow, depending on how busy I am…so, reviews? :) Sorry my chapters are always so short, by the way…they're way longer on Microsoft Word. 0.o But, I think I balance that out by writing lots of chapters. xD Until next time. **

**~Secret**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

"Professor?" Hermione called, as she pushed on the slightly open door of Snape's office.

There was no reply, so she entered slowly. She didn't see him anywhere, so she headed towards the door to his private library to set up her cauldron.

Before she got there, however, she felt someone come up behind her and grab her by the waist.

"I thought we were on a first name basis now, _Hermione,_" a voice breathed in her ear.

"Oh!" She exclaimed, spinning around. "You scared me…Severus." She smiled up at him.

"I'm sorry, Hermione. Perhaps I could make it up to you?" He said smoothly.

"I'd like to see you try," Hermione said playfully.

Severus didn't bother answering- he just kissed her.

And he was a great kisser.

Much better than Ron.

Which made Hermione feel guilty.

Very guilty.

So, she broke away from Severus, even though she wanted more- much more.

Severus took a step back and said, "Well, Hermione, we'd better get started on the Polyjuice Potion, before I forget why you came."

She suppressed a giggle.

This was so unlike her! She didn't giggle! Or flirt! Or kiss her teachers! Or imagine doing anything else with them…or cheat on her boyfriend! Whom she happened to love very much!

…Right?

She shook away those thoughts. Of course she loved Ron!

_Then what are you doing with Severus? Kissing him? Imagining…more? What are your feelings for __**him**__? _The annoying voice in the back of her head questioned.

She wanted to slap it.

She followed Severus into his private library. Then she stopped dead.

"…This…this is amazing! The most wonderful thing I've ever seen! There are more books in here than I've ever seen anywhere, even in the Hogwarts library!" She cried.

"Ahhhh, yes. Well, I've been collecting for quite some time now," Severus replied.

"How many do you have?" Hermione asked.

"I stopped keeping track a few years ago…but I'd say around 80,000. Give or take," he said.

"That's amazing!" Hermione gasped, stepping forward to examine some of the books closest to her.

"Of course, you may read any of these books that you wish. I know that you'll take very good care of them," he told her.

Hermione didn't know how to express her gratitude, so she just threw her arms around him.

"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" She said.

"Of course," he said, hugging her back.

Then he stepped back. "Now, we should probably get started, if you want your Potion done anytime in the near future…"

"Of course!" Hermione said, joining him in front of the cauldron.

.oOo.

A few hours later, Hermione glanced at the clock.

"Oh!" She exclaimed. "It's gotten so late!"

Severus looked up as well. "So it has," he said.

"I've gotten so caught up in my work…I'm sorry! I'm sure you wanted to go to bed some time ago…I'll be leaving now, shall I?" Hermione asked.

"It's quite all right, Hermione. I'm the same way…I always get caught up in my work, and fail to notice everything passing me by," Severus told her, looking into her eyes.

Hermione smiled at him. "Maybe we can learn to live in the moment…together."

"You know, Hermione…" Severus said thoughtfully. "I think I might be falling in love with you."

Hermione was shocked into answering honestly. "I feel the same exact way."

"I had hoped you would," he said, gently kissing her. "Now, I think it's time for you to get back to your dorms. Goodnight, Hermione."

"Goodnight, Severus," she said softly. "I'll see you tomorrow."

**A/N: Hiya guys! I'm really sorry I haven't updated in a while! I promise to get back on track. :) & I just wanted to let you all know, I'm so thankful for every Favorite, Story Alert and review that I get…even if I don't usually reply to reviews. xD I try, if they have questions or something like that, but I'm still very thankful for each one I get! Well, let me know if you liked this chapter. :) Until next time!**

**~Secret**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Hermione was going to do it.

Possibly the hardest decision she had ever had to make.

But it had to be done.

She couldn't keep doing this.

It was going to end badly. And she couldn't let that happen.

She steeled herself and walked through the door, dread settling in the pit of her stomach.

Her voice was wobbly as she called out to him.

"Ron?"

"Hermione! Hi! Where have you been? I feel like we haven't spent any time together in…well, ages! I've missed you," he said, smiling gently. He pulled her over to him and gently kissed her. "I love you," he whispered.

"Ron…" she trailed off. She didn't know how to do this…she didn't want to hurt him! She _did _still love him, after all, and probably always would…but, she had come to the realization that she loved Severus even more.

Ron seemed to sense that she needed to tell him something important…but was struggling with it.

"Hermione, you know you can tell me anything, right? I promise I won't get mad, or judge you…you know that, right?" He said, sounding concerned.

Ugh! He was making it so much harder by being all sweet and understanding!

She steeled herself before saying, "Ron, I think we need to break up!" His mouth dropped open in surprise, but before he could stutter a reply, Hermione pressed forward. "It's not that I don't love you…I do, I promise! And I always will! But, it's _because _I love you that I have to do this! I can't lead you on…I've fallen for someone else. And I don't expect you to ever forgive me, but I hope that you will, one day…I just don't want you to hate me," she finished lamely.

Ron just stared at her for a minute, shocked. Then, he seemed to shake himself out of it slightly, because he said, "Oh, uh…it's ok, 'Mione…I love you, and I just want you to be happy…so, if this guy makes you happy, then…who am I to hold you back?" He tried to smile, but it kept breaking apart, and there were tears swimming in his eyes, even though he kept trying to blink them back. She could tell that he didn't want her to notice how much this had hurt him, so she pretended not to notice, for his sake.

It was the least she could do for him.

She leaned up and kissed him gently on the mouth, for the last time. Both of them seemed reluctant to pull away, but finally, the kiss ended.

"I'm sorry, Ron," she whispered in his ear, before walking up the stairs to her dorm, leaving him staring up after her, a single tear finally escaping its prison and sliding down his cheek.

As she lay down in her bed, she felt like the dirtiest person that had ever lived.

She loved Ron!

She truly did…and hurting him the way she had nearly broke her heart in two.

But, if she wanted to be with Severus, then she couldn't keep leading Ron on…it wasn't fair to anyone. Least of all Ron. She knew how much he loved her…

She had done the right thing, she was sure of it.

So why did it hurt so much?

**A/N: Aww. This chapter is sort of sad…but, I think it's my favorite so far. What do you think? :) I know it was rather short, as well. And I apologize. They will be getting longer. Soon. I promise. :D Well! Until next time.**

**~Secret**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

When Hermione walked into Potions class the next morning, she had red, puffy eyes from crying all night. She noticed that Ron did too, which made her feel even worse. Severus noticed how terrible she looked, and called her up to his desk.

Quietly, so no one could hear what he was saying, he asked, "Hermione, what's wrong?"

The fact that he sounded so concerned for a monster like her made her want to start crying all over again.

"I broke up with Ron last night," she explained, trying to sound strong. "I feel so filthy!"

She saw emotion flash in his eyes for a moment, but it was gone before she could tell what it was. "We'll talk later," he muttered. Then, louder, so the whole class could hear him, he said, "Miss. Granger, you look simply terrible. I can't have you disrupting my class with your annoying sniffling. Go back to your dorm." The Slytherins all snickered, while the Gryffindors all grumbled furiously at this unfair treatment. Out of the corner of her eye, Hermione saw Ron open his mouth as though he was about to say something, and then close it as he thought of the consequences. Severus looked at Hermione with apology in his eyes, before shooing her out the door.

As the door shut behind her, Hermione realized that Severus had just done her a huge favor. She couldn't have sat at the same table as Ron, looked at him, talked to him, helped him with his work, without crying throughout the entire class. Then she wondered what she was going to do with herself for a whole class period. She didn't feel like going back to the dorm…and she didn't want to go to the library either. She just didn't feel up to doing anything. So, she wandered the halls aimlessly, wondering if she should've made a different choice.

She heard footsteps behind her, but she didn't turn around. She didn't care who was following her. She had been excused from Potions- she couldn't get in trouble for walking around. Then, the person behind her spoke.

"What's little Miss. Perfect doing, wandering the halls when she should be in Potions?" It was Draco Malfoy…which was just great. She didn't need his taunting right now.

"Actually, Malfoy, Professor Snape excused me from class today," she informed him, still not turning to face him.

"Oh, really?" He said, catching up and walking next to her.

"Really," she said dryly. "And, what exactly are you doing out of class?"

"I skipped," he said simply. Then, he finally looked at her face, and took in her red, puffy eyes, his own widening in shock.

"Hey…are you okay?" He asked, actually sounding concerned.

Which made her start crying all over again, because he actually cared, which was shocking.

Fantastic.

He looked awkward for a moment, not quite knowing what to do, before he put an arm around her and said, "It's ok…what's wrong?"

"I…I broke up with Ron!" She found herself saying, sobbing on his shoulder.

"…But I though you loved him or something…" Draco said slowly, seeming confused.

"I do!" She wailed. "But, I love someone else more…and I couldn't keep cheating on Ron! But I hurt him…and I hurt myself too! I don't know what to do!" She wailed.

Draco didn't know what to say. "Do you want to…talk to me about it?" He asked slowly, not sure if it was the right thing to say, but still wanting to comfort her.

Hermione looked up at him, tears streaming down her face. "You wouldn't mind? You actually…care?"

"Of course I care! Just because I'm a git most of the time doesn't mean I can't be a good person…" He said.

"Then, yes, please…I'd love to talk about it," she sniffled. "Maybe you can help me figure out what to do…I don't know if I made the right decision!" She cried even harder.

"Well, uh, let's go to the Slytherin common room…it'll be empty right now," he said, leading her down some stairs towards the dungeons.

She followed him, thinking that she had just gained a new friend- an unexpected friend, under very odd circumstances, but a friend nonetheless.

**A/N: So! I know I haven't updated in a while, and I'm sorry. :( School started back up, and I've been so busy…but! Now I'm updating. :) Did you like the chapter? Did you like the fact that Hermione and Draco are now…friends? ;) Tell me what you think! Until next time.**

**~Secret**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

When Draco and Hermione found their way into the Slytherin common room, it was indeed empty. Draco sat down on a squishy looking green couch in front of a roaring fire, and after a moment of hesitation, Hermione sat down next to him, still crying softly. They sat in silence for a moment.

"So," Draco said, "what's wrong?"

Hermione found herself pouring her heart out to a boy, a few hours earlier, she had hated…and was sure that he felt the same way about her. "I love Ron! I was happy with him! I really was! And I'd never have dreamed of hurting him! But then…he came along," she sobbed. She wondered exactly how much she should tell him…what if he told? What if Severus got in trouble? She wouldn't be able to live with herself if she hurt _two _of the people that she loved.

But then Draco asked softly, "Who came along?"

And she thought it couldn't hurt; she inexplicably trusted him…he was being so kind! So she continued on. "Severus," she whispered. She saw Draco's eyes widen slightly, but he remained silent, waiting for her keep speaking. "He…he was so kind to me! Not at all like he was in lessons…I told him I wanted to be a Potions Mistress…and he said such wonderful things about me! And then, when I went back later that night, to discuss things further with him…he…kissed me. And I liked it! No…I loved it," she elaborated. "And then, of course, I felt terrible! I had just cheated on Ron! Whom, I'd like to inform you, I've loved very strongly ever since first year…but with Severus…things were different. I felt…different. Ron…I still love him, of course…I assume I always will…you can't get rid of a love that strong. But, I feel for Severus even more strongly…and, just the other night, he told me he was falling in love with me! What was I supposed to do? I can't keep doing this to Ron…or Severus for that matter! It's not fair at all to either of them…so I made the hardest decision I believe I'll ever have to make. I broke up with Ron…and broke both of our hearts in the process. I still love Severus more than Ron, but…being without Ron hurts so much," she sobbed. "Did I make the right choice, Draco? Did I?"

Draco stared into the fire for a few moments, choosing his words carefully before he answered. "Hermione…I don't think it's the most advisable thing to be romantically involved with a teacher…" Hermione wanted to interject, but she kept silent, because he had for her. "But," he continued, "true love…true love is _always _worth following. You have to fight for something that special as hard as you can. I think that, from what you've told me, what you and, er… Professor Snape have is very real. Yes, you may still love Ron…and, I agree with what you said; that love will most likely never go away. But, if you had made a different choice, I know it would be hurting you even worse. I think that you did the right thing, however unethical."

While Draco had been speaking, Hermione had just about stopped crying; she had only let out an occasional sniffle. But when he finished, she started crying again with vigor. "Th-thank you! That was beautiful!"

"…So why are you crying?" Draco asked, bewildered.

Hermione gave him a watery smile. "Because you listened to me, and helped me understand that I had made the right choice. You actually cared about what I had to say, and for that, I will always be grateful."

Draco smiled back at her. "Of course, Hermione. You know, I've always admired you, no matter how much of a prat I've been to you. You're pretty, you're smart, you're funny…"

Hermione was touched. "Thank you Draco," she said. "I won't forget that."

"You know what else?" Draco added, as an afterthought.

"Hmm?" Hermione asked.

"I wasn't actually skipping Potions," he told her. "I just said that…I didn't want people to know that I've been getting special permission to help out Madame Pomfrey in the Hospital Wing…I want to be a Healer, you know," he confided. "But don't tell anyone!" he added hastily. "I don't want them knowing…not just yet, that is."

"Why, Draco, that's wonderful!" Hermione exclaimed. "I promise to keep your secret…as long as you keep mine," she said with a wink.

"My lips are sealed," he promised her.

"I really do appreciate how kind you've been to me," Hermione said seriously.

"All in a days work, ma'am," Draco said with a smile.

**A/N: Aww, now, wasn't that sweet? ;) Actually, I think this is the most fun I've had writing a chapter yet. I really like this one! :D But, does my opinion really matter? Tell me what you think! :) Until next time.**

**~Secret**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

Hermione knocked on the door Severus's office. This was the first time it had ever been closed when he knew she had been coming- and it made her nervous. Was he mad at her?

"Enter," came his cold voice from behind the door. Her feeling of dread intensified.

But when she walked through the door, she saw why it had been closed, and why his voice hadn't been warm and pleasant like it usually was when he knew she was there. Dumbledore was sitting in the chair in front of Severus's desk, his eyes watching her intently as she walked through the door.

"Ahh, Miss. Granger," he said warmly. "Just the witch I was hoping to see. You came here to speak with Severus, I presume?"

"Well, sort of, sir. I came to continue working on my potion. I'm working on a more advanced potion, you see, so I needed to spend some extra time working on it outside of classes," Hermione explained.

"Very good, Miss. Granger, very good…I assume with that kind of dedication, you aspire to be a Potion Mistress?" Dumbledore asked kindly.

"Yes, sir, I would like that very much," Hermione answered, turning a bit pink.

"I'm sure you'll make a fantastic Potions Mistress." Then his voice turned brisk and business-like. "Severus, Miss. Granger…I'm not here just to chat about Miss. Granger's future career options, however extensive they may be," he said with a nod in her direction. All in a rush, her feelings of dread came flying back. "No," he continued, "I came to discuss some rumors that have just recently begun going around. Now, usually, I don't pay much attention to idle gossip, but this rumor…I felt needed to be addressed." Hermione risked a small glance at Severus, and saw that he was staring rigidly at Dumbledore, his face emotionless.

Hermione needed to ask. "And…what exactly did that rumor consist of, Professor?"

He heaved a huge sigh before answering. "People have begun to say that you two are…romantically involved. Before these rumors escalated out of control, I thought that it would be best to come and speak to the two of you personally."

Hermione felt like crying. This couldn't be happening! She hadn't told anyone but Draco…and he wouldn't tell anyone!

Would he?

Severus spoke up. "Professor, I have no idea where the children got such horrendous ideas. As if I would ever partake in romantic activities with a student…much less Hermione Granger," he said with a sneer.

Dumbledore stared at him for a moment. "No need to be nasty, Severus," he said quietly.

"Forgive me," he said, his lip curling up.

Dumbledore watched him for a moment longer, before turning to Hermione. "And what say you about these rumors, Miss. Granger? We've heard Professor Snape's rather…colorful opinion on the matter."

Hermione braced herself, and then said, "Sir, these rumors are absolutely…true." She gulped. What had she just done? She didn't know what had made her say it…it was just that hearing Severus deny their relationship in such a cruel manner had made her so mad…she just wanted to tell the truth.

The truth always came out eventually…and if you had lied about something in the beginning, the consequences were always worse off.

She looked at Severus and saw him staring at her in shock, his mouth agape. When she looked at Professor Dumbledore, however, he didn't look the least bit surprised. In fact, he looked rather amused, which she wasn't expecting.

"Thank you, for being honest with me, Miss. Granger. I actually rather suspected that it would be Severus who would be truthful…but apparently I suspected wrong."

"You…you knew?" Hermione gasped.

"Of course I did," he replied, not unkindly. "And, I must say…I'm not going to encourage it, but, Miss. Granger, you are of age…it's entirely your decision. Although, while you are in school, and Professor Snape… or should I say Severus? Nonetheless, while you are in school, if the Ministry found out…they wouldn't be very happy. But…how would they ever find out?" He said with a wink.

"So…we're not in trouble?" Hermione asked, dumbfounded.

"Not in the least!" Dumbledore cried heartily.

Severus seemed to recover his wits. "But what about the rumors you were telling us about?" He asked stiffly.

"Oh, those weren't real in the slightest! I just needed a reason to question you," he informed them. Then, before either of them could say anything else, he stood up. "Well, I have a meeting with a parent soon…so I must be off!" And with that, he swept out the door, leaving Severus and Hermione caught up in an awkward silence.

Severus was the first one to speak…again. "I think we need to talk."

**A/N: Hahaha, did you like it? :D I had a totally different idea for this chapter…but then this hit me, and I liked it a lot better. xD What did you think of fearless Severus being the one to hide their relationship, and shy, scholarly Hermione telling the Headmaster the truth? Let me know! Until next time. **

**~Secret **


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

"Severus…" Hermione said hesitantly. "I didn't mean to…" She stopped. Because she _had _meant to tell Dumbledore the truth- and she didn't regret it.

Besides, he had already known the truth, so it would have been pointless to lie.

"Hermione. I…I respect that you wanted to tell him the truth, but…what if he _hadn't _really known? And what if he had cared? What if we were punished? You, expelled, and me, fired? Where would that have gotten us? No closer to where we want to be. I didn't lie to him because I'm ashamed that I love you- I would yell it from the top of the Astronomy Tower if I could. I lied, because I wanted to keep our relationship safe. Keep _you _safe."

Now Hermione felt rather ashamed of herself. All he'd been trying to do was protect her… "Severus…I love you. And I understand that you just wanted to keep us safe…but, I don't think Dumbledore would have gotten us in trouble. I'm about to turn 17, for Merlin's sake. There's nothing wrong with what we're doing, and…I don't know, I would have been less likely to announce that we're in a relationship if you'd handled your denial better. I know you want to seem like you don't care for me…but you don't have to be outright rude about it."

"Oh, Hermione," he sighed. "I'd never want to hurt you. I just thought…perhaps, hurting your feelings would be better than your future…and our relationship. But, I should've done what was right. Yes, I should've told Dumbledore the truth…"

"Well, he knows now…for better, or for worse," Hermione said.

"Well, you said it yourself, love, and I agree- I don't think Dumbledore will tell anyone. If anyone finds out, it will be because _we _told, not him," Severus said.

"I don't plan on telling anyone…at least, not until I turn 17," Hermione clarified.

"Once you're 17, I _will _be able to yell it from the Astronomy Tower," Severus said, smiling softly at her.

"Yell what, exactly?" Hermione asked with a grin.

"Why, how much I'm in love with the beautiful, smart, brave, _amazing _Hermione Granger, of course."

Hermione's heart swelled. "Well, now I can't wait for my birthday. That will be the most amazing present anyone has ever given me."

"That won't be the only present I give you…" Severus said, raising an eyebrow at her.

Hermione's heart stopped beating for a moment. He couldn't be talking about what she thought he was, right? He couldn't be talking about…sex…could he?

She was saved the horror of having to respond because there was a knock at the door, and Draco walked in.

"Sir?" He said, looking at Hermione curiously. He clearly wanted to know if they had talked things over- and she had a lot to tell him.

"Yes, Draco?" Severus asked.

"I needed to find Hermione- I needed her help on an essay, and I knew she was working on a Potion in here, so I came looking…" he trailed off.

"Of course. Miss. Granger and I were simply discussing brewing techniques. You may go help Mr. Malfoy," he said, looking at Hermione. She got up, and with a glance back at him, followed Draco out the door.

Once they were in the hallway, Hermione started talking. "You don't _really _need help with an essay, do you? Because I have so much to tell you!"

"Of course not," he said with a snort. "I can do my work by myself, thank you very much. I'm not the Weasel. I wanted to hear all your juicy gossip," he said teasingly.

"Ugh. You're going to love this…let's go to the library or something, though, I don't need anyone overhearing…" Hermione said, glancing around as if she expected someone to leap out from behind a tapestry.

"Ooh, I'm excited. Somewhere we can't be overheard? It _must _be interesting," Draco said, sounding like a gossipy second year. Hermione laughed.

"Let's go, little girl."

He stuck out his tongue at her, and they started walking.

**A/N: Hi, guys! Sorry it's been so long… :( But! What did you think of this chapter? Don't worry, the drama hasn't ended just because Dumbledore knows about them! Well, until next time. **

**~Secret**


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